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Topic: Is anybody using the GE NX-8E for their alarm panel? (Read 8585 times)

I'm looking for alternatives since the VistaICM is no longer available. I was updating the wiki pages to reflect that the VistaICM is discontinued and I stumbled across the only non-Honeywell alarm panel wiki-page, the GE NX-8E. The fact that it's in our wiki tells me somebody tried it at some point. I'm curious if anybody has it working. I'm a little troubled by the line: "--still trying to get the alarm panel to work so if anyone has LinuxMCE configuration help, please include it here.-- " But from the history, it looks like it's an edit from the Pluto days.

brake16

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The Second Empirical Law of Lasers is to not look into the beam with your remaining good eye - Anonymous

This alarm panel thing is driving me crazy. lol. I got a GE NX-8E because it was once listed as supported. Then the Honeywell system and was saving up for the VistaICM and they discontinue it...darn. Could go Thom's route and just use a bunch of GC100's but that is pretty expensive or z-wave stuff. Then your insurance company wants a "Real" alarm panel. Oh well... I am not sure which direction this will take now.Thanks,Randy

If you can get a security panel with either RS232 or Ethernet connection, and a protocol sheet to control it, you can write a template and a driver for it.

Adam and I wrote the VistaICM2 as an example of a complex driver that does two way communication, and handles the multiple ports that the device talks on in C++. The DSC Power5020 is an example of doing one in Ruby. Pick one.

I'm currently in the process of implementing a communication library for the NX-8E for slampt. It's been a bit slow going as I've not had much time for work recently, but once I've done this I'll also be using the VistaICM2 stuff as a base for integrating support into LinuxMCE.

Currently the IO and message parsing/checksumming code is done, all that needs doing now is implementing message handlers for each type of event and generating some hooks for third party applications. If you've got C++ experience, I'd more than appreciate some help writing message handlers once I get the base MessageHandler class finished.

I'll be releasing the code under the GPL also - but I don't want to get ahead of myself until it's all sorted.

Pwned, feel free to reach out to me when you start integrating with LinuxMCE, I am quite familiar with the Security plugin having worked with Thom on the VistaICM and written the HAI integration. Once you understand the DCE architecture of LinuxMCE and the significance of device categories, it's really quite simple. There is room for improvement in the Security plugin too, mainly there's currently no command to add a security zone so plug and play partitions is not possible currently.

My last coding days were the college semester of Turbo Pascal back in '93. Prior to that I took QuickBasic in high school, and I had a few great self-taught years on a Commodore 64 in the mid-80's. So for now, my lmce contributions have been wiki-related. Once my house reconstruction activities have settled, I'll be able to contribute $. But I don't think anyone wants me messing with code right now.

Chunky bacon!

brake16

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The Second Empirical Law of Lasers is to not look into the beam with your remaining good eye - Anonymous

Pwned, feel free to reach out to me when you start integrating with LinuxMCE, I am quite familiar with the Security plugin having worked with Thom on the VistaICM and written the HAI integration. Once you understand the DCE architecture of LinuxMCE and the significance of device categories, it's really quite simple. There is room for improvement in the Security plugin too, mainly there's currently no command to add a security zone so plug and play partitions is not possible currently.

-Adam

Adam,

Sorry to "bump" an old thread, but the Caddx NX-8 is commingly used in South Africa. So is the Texecom Premier series. I have the latter.A friend installs alarm systems so he is going to get me a "PC-COM" unit ( http://www.texe.com/view.php?page=139# ) so that we can test with. Can you point me into the right direction for wtiting a driver if need be?

The link in my previos post, isnt the "protocol sheet" im looking for?I got a communications protocol sheet for the Caddx panels, and it doesnt remotely look the same as that in the link.......Where can I get one for the Texecom alarm Panels.....

Hey guys, just an update that I've found time recently to start working on this again.

Decoding and parsing data from the panel has been working for a while now - I've rejigged the classes and whatnot and am aiming to have return communication and zone status working in some capacity in the next two weeks - then it's a case of implementing DCE notifications, which should again be pretty straightforward.

los93sol - I'll probably drop you a PM in the next week or so when I hit a problem

Hey guys, just an update that I've found time recently to start working on this again.

Decoding and parsing data from the panel has been working for a while now - I've rejigged the classes and whatnot and am aiming to have return communication and zone status working in some capacity in the next two weeks - then it's a case of implementing DCE notifications, which should again be pretty straightforward.

los93sol - I'll probably drop you a PM in the next week or so when I hit a problem

Pwned,

Any progress on this? I would love to get my alarm panel intergrated, even if it means changing to a NX-8E.

I am completely new to LinuxMCE but I find it extremely interesting and powerful, and I want to use it as the basis in my new home to integrate media, security and some home automation.

I am planning to buy and install the Caddx NX-8E alarm with various wired sensors because of its price, availability in Greece and support with LinuxMCE. I would like to trigger events from its sensors in LMCE and capture video from the IP cameras, make phone call to report status to a phone number, trigger lighting scenarios (turn lights on/off) using z-wave or X-10 and I would like to arm/disarm it remotely from my iPhone or a web browser.

First of all, can all this be done using LMCE or I am just dreaming?

I have read a lot in the forum and the wiki and my latest understanding is that NX-8E is supposed to be supported by LMCE via its RS232 interface but it is actually not supported to allow for all the things that I would like to do.

Can you please give me a clear idea on what is the case with NX-8E alarm as I really need to buy the equipment and if it is not working with LMCE I will need to look at other options.